in touch august-september 2010

IN TOUCH No.163 August - September 2010

In th

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San Remo - 90 Years On: Pages 3–5

A Time To Grow - In Spirit And Truth: Pg.6-7

qyDIc; tsadiq

Hebrew WordStudy: Page 8

“The One enthroned in heaven laughs: the Lord scoffs at them.”

Psalm 2:4 (NIV)

Lifting The Lid...Again!: Page 2

LIFTING THE LID...AGAIN!I am pleased to report that the

CFI/UK 25th Anniversary Tour to Israel led by my predecessor Geoffrey Smith, ably assisted by his wife Margaret, was a great success. It was really good to accompany, along with my wife Ellen, some 40-50 from the UK as well as meet up with the team at CFI Jerusalem and their International Reps at the 25th Anniversary

Jerusalem Conference. Whilst there, the “Gaza Flotilla Incident” occurred, with much inconsiderate reporting coming out from the international media. It was as if the lid was taken off and the press could not wait to reveal their anti-Israel bias before the full facts were known. I am struck by the chilling parallels with the Dreyfus Affair of 1895 where, although finally cleared of any wrongdoing, the anti-Jewish undercurrent was revealed, ironically becoming a significant catalyst to the modern Zionist movement.

On return to the UK, we find the denominational conferences taking place with a sadly biased paper produced for debate at the Methodist Conference in early July entitled “Justice for Palestine and Israel”. This was done without any pre-engagement with the broader Jewish community, preferring rather to focus almost exclusively upon those who agree with the compilers’ position which expresses the now well-rehearsed mantra of Israel’s so-viewed occupation, the Palestinians’ so-called struggle, and actions unadvisedly aimed at rectifying this. It conveniently bypasses all the considerable historic and present efforts Israel has made to address the difficulties, often taking great risks with its own security in so doing, and instead advocates measures that must only aggravate the situation.

An article in this edition highlights the historic legal position of Israel, an issue often lost or ignored in the rush to address what might be termed the “immediate position”, without regard to the actual status of the territory. One of our tasks here at CFI-UK is to provide the broader context of a given matter, whether historic, legal, theological or geographical. In so doing we engage at many levels with our Christian and Gentile constituency, as well as working with the Jewish community we desire to befriend.

We have an abundance of resources available to assist in this including books, booklets, information papers, CDs and DVDs which you can locate through our website. In addition, we distribute up-to-the-minute information to key supporters, convene teaching and prayer conferences, utilise Area Reps and Advocates throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as support a variety of activities in Israel though our links with the Jerusalem office.

We are grateful to all who work with us and offer support in these challenging times. May we all continue in our efforts to be there, where and when we are most needed.

Jacob VinceCFI-UK Director

In Touchis the newsletter of

Christian Friends of Israel UK

CFI-UK seeks to bless Israel by means of practical and

moral support, and to serve the Church in teaching about

God’s purposes for Israeland the Hebraic roots

of our faith.CFI also produces a monthly

News Report, a monthly Prayer Letter and a Middle East Update tape/CD/MP3.Please send for full details

of the practical projects and also of the many teaching

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2 Y August/September 2010 Y Christian Friends of Israel In Touch 163

Castello Devachan stands on a hillside at the end of Corso degli

Inglesi, overlooking the Italian Riviera town of San Remo. The villa itself has a chequered history, including use as the local Gestapo HQ during the Second World War, but its claim to fame dates from April 1920 when it was used by the newly-formed League of Nations to house a conference to decide the future of the Middle East in the aftermath of the First World War. Here lie the beginnings of the reborn State of Israel, and the Agreements

made at that conference are still valid today and vital to a proper understanding of Israel’s right to its land, including territory currently occupied by Palestinian Arabs.

To celebrate the 90th Anniversary of the San Remo Agreement, the European Coalition for Israel held a commemorative event over the weekend of 24th–25th April this year (see ECI group picture above right). This took place on the same dates, and in the same place, as the original conference ninety years earlier. We came together to declare that the original agreement still stands to day, and to hear legal argument from international scholars concerning Israel’s current occupation of ‘Palestine’. This article is a summary of the information shared at the commemoration.

Before we examine the Agreement made in 1920, let us back-track a few years. In November 1917 Britain issued what has come to be known as the Balfour Declaration, stating that “His Majesty’s Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing should be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country.” At the time, the province of Palestine was still part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, with which Britain and her allies were at war.

The League of NaTioNsWithin weeks of this Declaration being published, Britain had liberated Palestine from Turkish rule, and was therefore in a position to implement its policy. Watching from the other side of the Atlantic, USA President Woodrow Wilson issued what has become known as the Fourteen Points. Included as part of Point 12 was the statement that the “Turkish portion of the present Ottoman Empire should be assured a secure sovereignty, but the other nationalities which are now under Turkish rule should be assured an undoubted security of life and an absolutely unmolested opportunity of autonomous development”. These fourteen points became generally accepted by other nations following the end of the War, and formed the basis for the League of Nations, which was established by the Treaty of Versailles.

We come now to the San Remo Conference, held at Villa Devachan from 19th to 26th April 1920. This was an international meeting of the post-World War I Allied Supreme Council, attended by the four Principal Allied Powers of World War I who were represented by the Prime Ministers of Britain (David Lloyd George), France (Alexandre Millerand) and Italy (Francesco Nitti) and by Japan’s Ambassador Keishiro Matsui (pictured above). The USA were also present, with ‘Observer’ status.

This Conference got to work on deciding the future of the Middle East following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. In accordance with Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, the victorious allies were not going to acquire new colonies in the area, but were going to establish new sovereign states there over a period of time. The parties recognised that not all the areas of the Middle East were yet ready for full independence, so they agreed to set up Mandates for each territory, with one of the Allied Powers being put in charge of implementing each Mandate.

Initially there were four Mandates agreed, for Lebanon, Syria, Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Palestine. In the first three Mandates,

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In Touch 163 Christian Friends of Israel Y August/September 2010 Y 3

San Remo

it was recognised that the indigenous people were able to govern themselves, with the Mandatory Power assisting in setting up the institutions of government where necessary.

The MaNDaTe for PaLesTiNeThat was not true of Palestine, as this was to become a homeland for the Jewish people and the vast majority of them were not yet living in the Land. The Mandate for Palestine was thus completely different from the others, and set out how the Land was to be settled by Jews in preparation for when they could form a viable nation there.There are a number of points which must be noted concerning this Mandate:1. For the first time in history, Palestine became a legal entity. Hitherto it had been just a geographical area.2. All prior agreements before the San Remo conference were terminated. This includes both the Sykes-Picot Agreement

and the Faisal-Weizmann Agreement.3. The Balfour Declaration was recognised and incorporated into international law.4. Sovereignty over Palestine was vested in the Jewish people.5. The Jewish people became the national beneficiary, based on self-determination, even though most of the Jews had

not yet returned to their Land, because of their historical connection to it.6. Transfer of the title on Palestine cannot be revoked, either by the League of Nations or the United Nations as its

successor, unless the people of Palestine want to give up their title.7. The Mandate for Palestine was to be given to Britain as the Mandatory Power.8. The San Remo Agreement was included in the Treaty of Sèvres and confirmed by the Council of the League of Nations

on 24th July 1922.9. The Arabs gained equivalent rights in Lebanon, Syria and Mesopotamia.10. The San Remo Agreement marks the end of the longest colonised period in history, lasting around 1,800 years.

It is therefore very clear that the Jewish State draws its legal existence from the San Remo Agreement of 1920, and not the United Nations Partition Plan of 1947 (Resolution 181). All 51 nations of the League of Nations voted in favour of this Agreement.

BouNDaries of The LaNDThe exact boundaries of the Land covered by the Mandate for Palestine were not defined at San Remo, and neither were the boundaries for the other Mandate territories. A map agreed by Emir Faizal and Chaim Weizmann prior to the conference had placed the eastern border along roughly the same line as the border from Second Temple times, but Britain decided that it should be the Jordan River instead.

Article 25 of the Mandate for Palestine gave the Mandatory Power permission to postpone or withhold most of the terms of the Mandate in the area of land east of the Jordan river, if it did not consider them to be applicable. Britain exercised that power in a memorandum to the League of Nations on 16th September 1922, which the League subsequently approved. This brought into being a new Mandate, for Trans-Jordan, also to be administered by Britain. It is interesting to note that the League of Nations referred to this territory as “The Trans-Jordan Province of Palestine” right up until the last meeting of the League on 18th April 1946. Trans-Jordan (now known as Jordan) gained its independence from Britain in 1946 when it became a Hashemite Kingdom.

Since then there have been no other modifications to the Mandate for Palestine, and thus the provisions of the Mandate are still applicable to the whole of the land of Palestine west of the Jordan river, including what is today referred to as the ‘West Bank’ and Gaza Strip.

The eND of The MaNDaTeHistory demonstrates clearly that Britain failed miserably to carry out the sacred trust invested in it by the League of Nations. After the Second World War, the League of Nations was disbanded and a new organisation, the United Nations, set up. This new body inherited all the agreements made by its predecessor, including the Mandate for Palestine. In 1947 Britain decided to terminate her stewardship of the Mandate, and notified the United Nations accordingly. It should be noted that the Mandate itself was not terminated, but only Britain’s stewardship of it. In a similar way, Britain’s stewardship of the Mandate for Trans-Jordan had been terminated the previous year by that country being granted independence.

90 Years On


The UN proposed a Partition Plan for Palestine, recommending the setting up of an Arab state, a Jewish state and an international zone to include Jerusalem. This Resolution (181) was only a recommendation to consider partition. It was not an injunction that must be obeyed. The recommendation was accepted by the Jewish leadership but rejected by the Arabs, and had no legal validity once rejected.

When the State of Israel was declared at the end of the British Mandate period, it became the fulfilment of the Mandate for Palestine, which had been created in order to bring about this outcome in due course. Although the manner by which the fulfilment came about left much to be desired, the Jewish State of Israel was what was envisaged by the writers of the San Remo Agreement nearly thirty years earlier. Effectively, this was recognised by the United Nations when it accepted Israel into membership on 11th May 1949.

israeL’s War of iNDePeNDeNceImmediately after Israel’s Declaration of Independence, five surrounding Arab nations invaded the new state. By the time that hostilities ceased, Israel had lost some of its territory to the attackers: the Golan Heights to Syria, Judea and Samaria (including the eastern part of Jerusalem) to Trans-Jordan, and the Gaza Strip to Egypt. It is universally accepted that it is inadmissible to acquire territory by attacking another country, so the actions of the Arab nations were in fact illegal under international law. Whereas Syria and Egypt only occupied their captured territories, Trans-Jordan annexed Judea and Samaria and called it the West Bank, in order to link the territory with the East Bank of the Jordan. This annexation was only recognised by two countries in the world, Britain and Pakistan, and has no effect upon the illegality of Trans-Jordan’s acquisition of the Land.

The six Day WarIsrael’s Six-Day War of June 1967 resulted in the recapture of those territories it had lost in 1948. From Israel’s perspective this was a defensive war, as Egypt, for example, had already declared war by blocking the Straits of Hormuz in the Gulf of Aqaba. Similarly, shortly after the war began, Jordan also declared war on Israel. There are therefore two excellent reasons why Israel’s recapturing of the territories it lost in 1948 was not illegal:

1. The territories belonged to Israel, as the fulfilment of the Mandate for Palestine, in the first place, so they were only retaking what already belonged to them anyway.

2. Israel was not acquiring territory as an aggressor, but in a defensive war forced upon it by the surrounding Arab nations.

After returning the Sinai to Egypt in the peace agreement of 26th March 1979, the territory under Israeli control was almost identical to that which comprised the Mandate for Palestine. Subsequently, Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip on 12th September 2005, but did not pass control to any other state. Thus, legally, the Gaza Strip remains part of Israel’s territory, even though not occupied by it at this point.

iLLegaLLy occuPieD TerriTory?It should be obvious from all this that the expression “illegally occupied territory” is totally inapplicable to Israel’s presence in, for example, Judea and Samaria (the ‘West Bank’). A state cannot ‘illegally occupy’ a territory that belongs to it in the first place!

I am sure that we are all well aware from the Bible that God has granted to the Jewish people the whole of the land currently comprising the State of Israel, as well as Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip. Israel’s legal entitlement to these lands confirms the Word of God on the matter for those of us who believe the Bible. For others, and particularly for those who would deny Israel’s right to the territories it recaptured in 1967, the legal case set out here is a challenge that needs to be addressed.

AcknowledgmentsI am indebted to Jacques Gauthier BA, LLB, PhD; Howard Grief, author of “The Legal Foundation and Borders of Israel under International Law”; Salomon Benzimra P.Eng; and Eli Hertz, President of Myths and Facts Inc, for material used in the preparation of this article. Further information is available on www.mythsandfacts.org

This article first appeared in the July/August edition of “Sword Magazine”: used with permission.

by Roy Thurley


We are enjoying the long, warm days of summer. The season is a time of rapid growth. As we nurture our spiritual growth, we need to be as watchful, careful and industrious as good farmers who tend the summer

crops in their fields. Much work needs to be done until, in autumn, they can rest back in contentment and celebrate the fruits of their labours and give generously in gratitude to the One who is the Source of it all.

We can monitor our growth, as it were, by exploring and considering the following topics, derived from the word ‘growth’ as an acronym.

g – Gratitude and Generosityr – Repentance and Righteousnesso – Obedience and OrderW – Worship and WarfareT – Trust and Truthh – Hope and HalleluYah!

In this article we will focus on the ‘o’ – Obedience and Order.

oBeDieNce – The yoke of The kiNgDoMIn an exquisitely tender exhortation, Messiah Yeshua said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:29-30). His yoke was that of the Kingdom of our Father in heaven. Yeshua’s life was the perfect demonstration of a life lived in one accord with the will of King of the Universe. Some may view any yoke as a restriction, something that will chafe and bind and weigh one down; hence they run from it and reject it in fear or rebellion.

Obedience that pleases the Father is not based on fear or compulsion. God does not overwhelm us with His power and force His will upon us. He woos us patiently in His love. As He did with the Israelites in the wilderness, He draws us to Himself in a secret place of stillness and always gives us the choice to respond. He desires that we order our lives according to His will, the way of His Word and Spirit, which is perfect and always in our best interest.

This obedience is not simply an issue of “being a good person.” In his classic, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis warns that if we try in our own strength to “do good,” to live moral and decent lives because it is the right thing to do, one of two results will occur: “Either we give up trying to be good, or we become very unhappy indeed!” Obedience must go deeper than trying to change our surface behaviour. Lewis adds: “I must be ploughed up and resown!” For a new and beautiful crop of righteousness to grow in our life, we need to be transformed from the inside out, ploughed up by our Master Gardener, and sown with seeds of His wisdom and truth.

Interestingly, Yeshua’s first miracle was one of transformation. At the wedding in Cana, He turned jars of water into wine – a symbol of joy! After the host’s supply of wine was depleted, Yeshua’s mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” ( John 2:5). He instructed them to fill six large stone water jars with water, and “…they filled them up to the brim” ( John 2:7). This illustrates that to the extent that we obey, so will be our joy. When God asks us to do anything, we should do it to the utmost; then we will discover that “our cup overflows” and our joy will be full.

This miracle also is a picture of Yeshua’s life in us and a reminder that we are as “…vessels, sanctified, meet for the Master’s use, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:21). We are the container, the Spirit of God fills us, and our life becomes a dwelling place for God’s Presence in the earth and a source of living water and joy to others.

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A Time To Grow - In Spirit


Norman Grubb points out in his precious booklet, The Key to Everything, that we are, after all, alive, and we are not meant to be passive containers. In this regard, Yeshua gave us further insight in His illustration of the vine and the branches. In Him, as the vine, we the branches are brought into living relationship with our Father God and can draw on the “sap” of His Kingdom life, which bears fruit in our lives. Grubb underscores that the activity of the branch is secondary to its receptivity. “We fail when we make activity a substitute for receptivity. He is the Lord and we are the co-operators, the receivers.” Only in this responsive relationship with Him can we become the true givers of His life, beauty and light. Then we become, as in Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famed verse, “…a common bush aflame with the Presence of God.”

ParTiciPaTiNg iN goD’s orDerGod gradually and lovingly, and yet persistently, establishes His order in humanity’s misguided disorder. The God who said, “I will be who I will be” is constantly involved in the present affairs of the world and His people, bringing change and transformation and directing all things towards His planned future. Even as the Israelites wandered en route to the Promised Land, we are still on the unpredictable journey that will bring us to God’s Promised Future!

The question now is, “How, then, do we travel?” Many answers can be found in a study of the journey of the Israelites. To name a few:1) We travel in faith, believing the words of the Almighty, whose wonders we have seen and whose provision and

Presence we enjoy.2) We travel in order, camped with God at the centre and journeying as He leads, not as an undisciplined mob

but in assigned positions, each with a particular purpose.3) We travel in obedience to God’s instructions. We move when He says to move and we camp when He says to

stay put! God is in control and we follow Him.4) We focus on his Word, diligently hearing and studying and increasingly learning more of Him and His ways.

We walk in God’s order when we walk after Yeshua as disciples. Dallas Willard made the startling observation that, “the churches are filled with undiscipled disciples!” Yeshua taught and demonstrated, clarified and filled-full of meaning the Word of God, the Hebrew Scriptures, because that is who He was – the Word made flesh; the Bread of Life broken for us that we might eat of it and digest it and absorb it into our very being and become one with him. When we follow after Yeshua and order our lives according to God’s Word and Truth, by His Spirit of holiness, we become ambassadors of hope in the world and participants in His unfolding plan of redemption – for His glory!

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.

As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love,

just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you,

and that your joy may be full.” ( John 15:8-11)

Keren Hannah Pryor(NB. This is an excerpt from the free weekly email series: “Appointments With God” by Keren Hannah Pryor. Available on

the Centre for Judaic-Christian Studies website: www.jcstudies.com)Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved. Permission to reprint or publish this article should be requested in writing from Keren Hannah Pryor at jcstudies.com

And In Truth


Part 1 of 2

The word qyDIc; tsadiq (pronounced ‘tsa-Deek’), plural ~yqiyDIc; tsadiqim (pronounced ‘tsa-dee-keeM’),

occurs 206 times in the Hebrew Scriptures and is commonly translated ‘righteous’. Strictly speaking it is an adjective (e.g. “Noach was a tsadiq man”, Genesis 6:9; “Yahweh is gracious and tsadiq”, Psalm 116:5), but it often functions as an adjectival noun (e.g. “Better the little that the tsadiq has, than the wealth of many wicked”, Psalm 37:16).

There are two related nouns which are virtually synonymous: hq''d'c. tsedaqah ‘righteousness, justice’, occurring 159 times; and qd,c, tsedeq ‘righteousness, rightness, justice, justness’, occurring 119 times. From the latter are derived the names qd<c,-yKil.m; Malki-Tsedeq (Melchizedek) ‘King of Righteousness’ (Genesis 14:18, Hebrews 7:2) and WhY'qid>ci Tsidqiyahu (Zedekiah) ‘Yahweh is Righteousness’ (II Kings 24:17, etc).The denominative verbal form of this root, qdec' tsadeq ‘to be righteous, right, just’, occurs just 41 times. From the same root we get the name qwOdc' Tsadoq (Zadok) ‘Righteous/Just’ (I Kings 1:8, etc) and its derivative yqiwOdc' Tsadoqi (Sadducee), plural ~yqiwOdc' Tsadoqim. The Tsadoqim (Sadducees) were a priestly group associated with the leadership of the Temple in Yerushalyim at the time of Yeshua, opposed to the Prushim (Pharisees), and noted for their disbelief in the resurrection of the dead, and angels and spirits (Mark 12:18, Acts 23:8).Whilst, as we shall see, tsadiq has a spectrum of nuances of meaning and application, it has been very often associated with the English word ‘righteous’. (It is slightly unusual to encounter such a tight correlation between a Biblical Hebrew word and an English word. Normally one Hebrew word is translated in different verses and Bible versions by several different English words, and one English word may be used to translate several different Hebrew words.) This means that even in English you can conduct an extensive and rewarding study by searching the Scriptures with the aid of a concordance or computer Bible software for the word ‘righteous’, knowing that, in the majority of instances, it translates tsadiq or one of the related words, discussed above, which share the same root letters.

Over half of the occurrences of tsadiq (118 out of 206, i.e. 57%) are in Psalms (x52) and Proverbs (x66). Hebrew parallelism—expressing a Biblical thought or theme in slightly different ways, or contrasting two opposites—which is common in Psalms and Proverbs, helps to broaden our understanding of what Biblical ‘righteousness’ entails. For instance, tsadiq is often paralleled with rv'y' yashar (plural ~yrIv'y> yesharim) ‘upright, straight’, e.g. “Rejoice tsadiqim in Yahweh; praise is fitting/beautiful for the yesharim” (Psalm 33:1).So from the direct context of a particular Scripture, from

parallelism, from Yahweh’s example of tsedaqah, and from other implications, we can build up a Biblical picture of what being a tsadiq entails. A tsadiq lives his life in faith/faithfulness (Habakkuk 2:4), perseveres (Proverbs 24:16), has his security in Yahweh (Proverbs 18:10), is confident (Proverbs 28:1), sings and rejoices (Proverbs 29:6), follows Yahweh’s decrees and keeps His laws (Ezekiel 18:9), is trustworthy/faithful (Nehemiah 9:33), keeps his word (Nehemiah 9:8), has integrity/fidelity (Ezekiel 18:9), is upright/straight (Psalm 32:11), is honest and hates lying (Proverbs 13:5), does what is right (Ezekiel 18:5), is found to be in the right and correct (Exodus 9:27), is innocent (Exodus 23:7), is clean/pure (Job 17:9), is blameless/perfect (Proverbs 20:7), is good (Proverbs 2:20), conducts himself in a manner which is justified and acts justly (Psalm 119:121), rejoices in justice (Proverbs 21:15), is mindful of justice for the poor (Proverbs 29:7), is compassionate (Psalm 103:8), gives to others without holding back (Proverbs 21:26), has understanding (Proverbs 11:9), is wise (Proverbs 23:24), ponders carefully before answering (Proverbs 15:28), utters wisdom and right judgments (Psalm 37:30), talks about what is desirable [to God] (Proverbs 10:32), speaks precious and nourishing words of life (Proverbs 10:11,20,21), wins souls (Proverbs 11:30), and even is understanding towards his animal(s) (Proverbs 12:10). (For reasons of space, I have limited the number of Scripture references in the above list, but many more could be cited in support of the various attributes which characterise a tsadiq).

Ya‘aqov (James), in his letter, argues that faith must be accompanied by actions (James 2:17-26), indeed “a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone” (James 2:24). Granted, this can refer to acting in faith for God’s mighty (‘supernatural’) works, including healing, deliverance, etc; but also our trust in His justice and righteousness should compel us to live righteous lives, knowing that “I, Yahweh, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:10). Mindful of this, let us each “hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6).

John C.P. Smith

qyDIc; tsadiq

The 18th of the 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, c, is called tsadi (or tsadiq) in Modern Hebrew, and tsade (or tsadeh) in Biblical Hebrew. There is no single English letter which is equivalent to tsadi, but the same effect can be made by combining the letters ‘t’ and ‘s’ (or ‘z’), hence ‘ts’ or ‘tz’. In some circumstances, particularly in Biblical Hebrew textbooks, a single special symbol is used, such as ‘sI’ or ‘zI’. A well-known Biblical name beginning with tsadi is !AYci Tsiyon (Zion). The numerical value of tsadi is ninety: so, for instance, the ninetieth Psalm is referenced in Hebrew as c ~yLihiT. Tehilim Tsadi (or Tsade); and the Hebrew year 5690 corresponding to 1929/30 is represented as c״rt, where t=400, r=200 and c=90, which added together gives 690 (conventionally, when writing dates, the symbol for thousands is omitted). Tsadi is one of five Hebrew letters possessing a different final form, # tsadi sofit, as in the word #r,a, erets ‘land, earth, world’.

“For Yahweh is righteous, He loves righteous deeds; the upright will behold His face.” (Psalm 11:7)

c


From June 7th to 11th, thirty “students” gathered together at the Windmill Farm Conference Centre in Clanfield, Oxfordshire. Over the 14 teaching

sessions packed into the five days, Desi Maxwell from Xplorations drew us back into the Jewish world of Jesus of Nazareth. We explored together the lives of Torah-observant Jewish people living under the rule of the Roman Empire during Second Temple Judaism in the Land of Israel.

As Desi carried us back in time to this period in Israel’s history, we saw Jesus, the Man, firmly placed back in His Jewish context. We were visibly reminded of all that this entailed, as Desi illustrated each of his sessions with graphics depicting daily life, work and worship in the time of Jesus. He enthusiastically invited us to look again at the “Big Picture” of God’s unfolding story in human history, and the journey that

each of us as disciples of the Jewish Messiah are called upon to make today.

By the end of the week together, there was the real sense that we had been well looked after and well fed...in every sense of the word. And those of us from the CFI-UK team came away with the understanding that this set of teaching materials is exactly what we hoped it would be...an excellent follow-on from our own Kesher Course, especially for any who want to delve deeper into an understanding of the Jewish roots of our faith.

As this edition of In Touch goes to press,

CFI-UK’s Media Producer, Ian Crowe, is busy editing the video footage of all the 14 sessions, and inserting as many as possible of the slides/graphics from Desi’s PowerPoints® into each teaching segment. We warmly commend this further educational resource to all our supporters, and if this copy of In Touch was not accompanied by an order brochure (pictured left) for the messages from the week, then please contact CFI-UK at the usual address or download the document in PDF format from the CFI website (www.cfi.org.uk). We felt a real knitting together with Desi during our week in Oxfordshire, and hope that this will be just the beginning of further collaboration with him and Xplorations in the days ahead.


Remember The Journey...And The Big Picture

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power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. In “Son of Hamas,” Mosab Yousef – now called “Joseph” – reveals new information about the world’s most dangerous terrorist organisation and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonising separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to “love your enemies” is the only way to peace in the Middle East. NB. Mosab’s story does include descriptions of his treatment by some IDF soldiers that some readers may find disturbing.

Paperback: 265 pages ~ £9.00

Blessings For Family And FriendsIn this beautifully bound and presented new book, Dr. John Garr of The Restoration Foundation, draws us back to the ancient world of the Bible, when people routinely blessed one another. They spoke blessings over homes, children, land, work, travels, and other things, and over activities of every sort. In a world filled with curses, everyone needs blessing. This book is a challenge to the Church to re-examine the Biblically Hebraic blessing tradition. You will be blessed...and learn how to be a blessing to others. Hardback: 150 pages ~ £14.00

Restore Magazine: Kadosh IssueThis latest themed magazine, published by the Hebraic Christian Global Community (formerly The Restoration Foundation), looks as various aspects of the Biblical theme of “Holiness”, and the call of God upon us to live everyday lives that reflect His character. Magazine: 36 pages ~ £6.00

FORTReSSeS OF ISRAeL16-Month Biblical Jewish calendarSeptember 2010 to December 2011

Calendar: 32 pages (incl. card outer cover): £8.00

Included with this copy of In Touch, you should also have received a brochure for CFI-UK’s residential teaching conference in late October, where Dr. John Garr is our guest speaker. If you did not receive a brochure/booking form, then please contact the CFI-UK office to request a copy, or download it in PDF format from the ‘Events’ section of the main CFI-UK website: www.cfi.org.uk

iMPorTaNT aNNouNceMeNTAs a response to the UK’s Methodist Church and its acceptance of a totally biased report on the situation between Israel and the Palestinians (including endorsing boycotts of Israeli goods from Judea and Samaria), a new group – Methodist Friends of Israel – is being established (a Facebook Group already exists, and a website is in the pipeline). If you want more details, please contact CFI-UK’s Monmouth Area Representative, Pam Smith at: [email protected]


As mentioned in the last edition of In Touch, some time ago, we asked you to pray about the recruiting of new CFI-UK Area Representatives to add to the already established team, and as you will have seen from the map included in

a previous ‘In Touch’ the Lord has indeed added to the number, for which we give Him thanks and praise. Please do keep these Reps in your prayers and do continue to pray for more to join and cover other areas in the UK.

In the last magazine we mentioned David Walker and Sue Mountford. This time we would like to introduce you to the new Area Reps in Norfolk: Bill & Val Crudgington (covering Thetford/Norwich), and in Northern Ireland, Ivor McClinton.

Ivor writes: Three years ago in 2007, I knew a bit about the importance of Israel but had never visited. Teaching at the University of Ulster meant that my wife Bea and I (pictured right) were unable to go to the Feast of Tabernacles in September/October. But in 2007 I was able to retire and so we went off with a group of 50 to the Feast. It was a life-changing experience and we went back again in 2008. We started to get opportunities to share about Israel in church and to have speakers including Nazir Touma, an Arab pastor from Nazareth.

In April this year I was privileged to be offered a place on the first ever Christian leadership seminar at the International School for Holocaust Studies in Jerusalem. Inaugurated by Yad Vashem, the country’s foremost Holocaust Memorial Museum, this programme educates and inspires Christians, with the goal that the Holocaust never happens again. Twenty-three Christian leaders from eight countries attended. The week-long seminar addressed a number of issues related to the Holocaust and included talks by Professor Robert Wistrich. We attended the Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) commemoration, and thanks to the volcanic ash cloud I was also in Jerusalem for Yom Ha’atzmaut Israel 62 – Israel’s Independence Day celebrations!

I had arrived in Jerusalem prior to the start of the seminar and took the opportunity to visit CFI Jerusalem where I met Ray Sanders, Karen Lewis and others. It was great to see the work that goes on there and meet some of the staff. I also saw the Distribution Centre and learned about its ministry to Jews and Arabs...it makes it all the more real when telling others about CFI. I am privileged to be the representative in Northern Ireland and look forward to meeting others from CFI-UK.

To contact ivor and Bea ~ email: [email protected] ~ Tel: 02891 453287 ~ Mobile: 0 7966 489892

Bill and Val Crudgington (pictured left) have been married 40 years this summer and have 4 sons...all Believers and married, with their 7th grandchild waiting in the wings to appear. Bill and Val have attended Norwich Family Life Church for the past 15 years, a fellowship that has a pro-Israel stance.

They have both had an awareness of Israel’s place in God’s heart for many years and visited the Land many times. After spending 6 months in Jerusalem as volunteers with CMJ, Bill was asked back as paid staff. Altogether they spent nearly 4 years serving at Christ Church, Jerusalem in the Guest House, which was a wonderful experience and grounding in Hebraic roots, along with an awareness of the significance of the Biblical Feasts.

On their return to England they have been working for the past seven years at Letton Hall, a Christian Conference Centre in the heart of Norfolk. They also attend, when work and family commitments permit, the Norwich Hebrew Congregation Synagogue since returning from Israel. With the advantage of being able to read Hebrew, they were invited to be “Friends” of the Synagogue.

Speaking of their new position Bill and Val stated, “Last November on the flight back to England from Israel, thoughts to do something positive to raise awareness in the churches were heightened by receiving a letter from David Soakell saying our names had been put forward as candidates for CFI reps. Although work commitments and family play a large part in our lives, we hope to be able to serve the Norwich and Thetford area to the best of our abilities, and look forward to meeting CFI supporters in this location.”To contact Bill and Val ~ email: [email protected] ~ Tel: 01603 439305 ~ Mobile: 07940198268


CFI-UK Area Reps Update

CFI-UK 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND15th–16th october ~ Victoria Baptist church, eldon road, eastbourne, BN21 1eu

In previous editions of In Touch we gave the dates for this year’s cfi 25th anniversary annual celebration. Now we are able to give further details of the Friday evening and all-day Saturday programme. In this 25th Anniversary year we look forward to welcoming Lance Lambert and Dr. John Garr as our guest speakers for the weekend. Copies of this programme, with fuller details, will be available for everyone on the day.

Our four main sessions will include times of worship and prayer, as well as an opportunity to hear from the Lord as both Lance Lambert and John Garr open God’s Word and brings us up-to-date news on current events in Israel. This year the programme also includes a late-morning session with a choice between an informal, seminar-type opportunity for young adults led by Chip Kendall (formerly the lead vocalist with thebandwithnoname) and CFI-UK’s Sam Hailes, where various topics concerning Israel and CFI’s Isrelate.com will be presented and discussed. Alternatively, there will be a DVD-based documentary and possible Q&A time in another part of the church’s facilities – topic still to be decided.

As in previous years, we are able to offer tea, coffee and squash at the various breaks, but everyone will need to bring their own packed lunch. Alternatively, we have tried to allow enough time for visitors who may wish to eat in one of the many cafes or restaurants scattered throughout the main Eastbourne shopping precinct or on the sea front.

Young people from secondary school age and above are welcome to attend all the main sessions, but we are NOT able to accommodate any younger children as we are unable to offer a separate children’s programme or crèche. There will be the usual CFI Bookstall with its excellent range of specialist resources, and as well as our friends from Olive Grove Projects in Luton, we also hope to have displays from several other Israel-related ministries.For those who wish to spend the weekend in Eastbourne, please contact the local Tourist Information Office for accommodation suggestions and booking assistance (Tel: 01323 411400). For those wishing to use sat-nav or route planning, the church details are at the top of this page. There is parking available at the church itself, in the Cavendish School grounds opposite, and in many of the nearby residential side streets – but please be sensitive to the needs of local residents.

as usual, a thanksgiving offering will be taken for the ongoing work of cfi-uk.

cfi-uk 25th anniversary annual celebration 2010 ProgrammeNo pre-booking necessary...just come and join us!

friDay 15th ocToBer

7.00pm Doors open ~ CFI Bookstall open from 7.00 to 7.45pm

8.00 - 9.30pm evening celebration ~ message from Lance Lambert

saTurDay 16th ocToBer

9.00am Doors open ~ CFI Bookstall open

9.30am - 11.00am Morning celebration ~ message from Dr. John Garr

11.00am - 11.30am Refreshment Break ~ CFI Bookstall open

11.30am - 12.45pm Choice of seminars - Details to be confirmed

12.45pm - 2.00pm Lunch Break (please bring a packed lunch - drinks provided) ~ CFI Bookstall open

2.00pm - 3.00pm afternoon celebration ~ message from Dr. John Garr

3.00pm - 3.30pm Refreshment Break ~ CFI Bookstall open for the final time

3.30pm - 5.00pm closing celebration ~ message from Lance Lambert


CFI-UK Events

MY RESPONSE TO THIS EDITION

Charity RegistrationNo. 1101899

VAT RegistrationNo. 678-7802-75

In Touch No. 163 ~ August - September 2010 (UK)

Please use this form, included with your copy of “In Touch”, to:u Provide contact details and/or a delivery addressv Notify change of addressw Make a Gift Aid Declaration (if appropriate)x Donate to the ongoing ministry needs of CFI-UKy Donate to a specified CFI-supported projectz Order recommended resources (overleaf )

x I / We would like to give a donation towards: r HeLP SuPPORT THe WORK OF cFI-uK

Donations can be made in one of three ways:1. By cheque/Postal order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

or

2. By credit/Debit card: £__________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

or

3. By standing order ~ please tick the box r We will send you a form to fill in and return

y I / We would like to donate to:

r THe cFI PROJecT I/We SPecIFY BeLOW: 8_______________________________________________

Donations can be made in one of two ways:1. By cheque/Postal order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

or2. By credit/Debit card: £___________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Please return this form to: cfi communications, Po Box 2687, eastbourne, BN22 7LZTel: 01323 410810 Fax: 01323 410211 Email: [email protected] Websites: www.cfi.org.uk / www.isrelate.com

u contact details ~ PLeASe PRInT cLeARLY

Surname: ____________________________ (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Rev/Dr) Forename: ________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Postcode: _________________ Tel: ____________________ Email: ____________________________________

v r If this is a NeW aDDress, please enter your OLD POSTcODe here: __________________________

w GIFT AID DecLARATIOn:

r Please tick here to treat this, and all previous donations made since 6th April 2000, as Gift Aided.

r Please tick here to treat this, and all future donations made until further notice as Gift Aided.I certify that I am resident in the United Kingdom. (You must pay an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to the taxwe reclaim on your donations - 28p for every £1.00 you give. Please only sign this declaration if you want us to claim the Gift Aid.)

signature: _______________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________

Please use this box to communicate any other information you wish to send to CFI-UK:____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

z CFI-UK RESOURCES ORDER FORM: AUGUST—SEPTEMBER 2010IMPORTANT: for postal savings on bulk purchases, please order online or by

telephone, where the cost is calculated on the collective weight of your items

Code Title / Description - ALL PRICES INCLUDE UK POSTAGE & PACKING Price Qty TOTALcfi resources (See page 10)B423 Son of Hamas ~ Mosab Hassan Yousef - (NOW in Paperback ~ 265 pages) £9.00

B424 Blessings For Family And Friends ~ Dr. John Garr - (Hardback ~ 150 pages) £14.00

B041 Restore Magazine: Kadosh Issue - (Magazine ~ 36 pages) £6.00

C31 Fortresses Of Israel: 16-Month Biblical Jewish Calendar - (Calendar ~ 32 pages) £8.00

PLEASE ALLOW 7-10 WORKING DAYS FROM RECEIPT OF ORDER FOR DELIVERY Subtotal:

Any other payments (e.g. subscription renewals with accompanying form):

TOTAL DONATION x and/or y (carried forward from other side):(Please make sure you have given your address overleaf) GRAND TOTAL:

DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS: Visa [ ] Visa Debit [ ] MasterCard [ ] MasterCard Debit [ ] Maestro [ ]

Exp Date: / Issue No: From Date: /

Payment by Credit / Debit Card is accepted on orders over £2.50. Please fill in your card details CLEARLY below. Once this data has been processed and payment approved, your card details will be destroyed.

3 Digit SecurityCode (on back)

Name on Card (please PRINT) Signature Date

_____________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________

MY RESPONSE TO THIS EDITION

Charity RegistrationNo. 1101899

VAT RegistrationNo. 678-7802-75

In Touch No. 163 ~ August - September 2010 (EU & RoW)

Please use this form, included with your copy of “In Touch”, to:u Provide contact details and/or a delivery addressv Notify change of addressw Make a Gift Aid Declaration (if appropriate)x Donate to the ongoing ministry needs of CFI-UKy Donate to a specified CFI-supported projectz Order recommended resources (see note overleaf )

x I / We would like to give a donation towards: r HeLP SuPPORT THe WORK OF cFI-uK

Donations can be made in one of three ways:1. By cheque/Postal order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

or

2. By credit/Debit card: £__________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

or

3. By standing order ~ please tick the box r We will send you a form to fill in and return

y I / We would like to donate to:

r THe cFI PROJecT I/We SPecIFY BeLOW: 8_______________________________________________

Donations can be made in one of two ways:1. By cheque/Postal order (made payable to CFI Charitable Trust): £___________________

or2. By credit/Debit card: £___________________ Please complete your card details overleaf

Please return this form to: cfi communications, Po Box 2687, eastbourne, BN22 7LZTel: 01323 410810 Fax: 01323 410211 Email: [email protected] Websites: www.cfi.org.uk / www.isrelate.com

u contact details ~ PLeASe PRInT cLeARLY

Surname: ____________________________ (Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Rev/Dr) Forename: ________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________________________

Postcode: _________________ Tel: ____________________ Email: ____________________________________

v r If this is a NeW aDDress, please enter your OLD POSTcODe here: __________________________

w GIFT AID DecLARATIOn:

r Please tick here to treat this, and all previous donations made since 6th April 2000, as Gift Aided.

r Please tick here to treat this, and all future donations made until further notice as Gift Aided.I certify that I am resident in the United Kingdom. (You must pay an amount of Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax equal to the taxwe reclaim on your donations - 28p for every £1.00 you give. Please only sign this declaration if you want us to claim the Gift Aid.)

signature: _______________________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________

Please use this box to communicate any other information you wish to send to CFI-UK:____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

DEBIT / CREDIT CARD DETAILS: Visa [ ] Visa Debit [ ] MasterCard [ ] MasterCard Debit [ ] Maestro [ ]

Exp Date: / Issue No: From Date: /

Payment by Credit / Debit Card is accepted on donations over £2.50. Please fill in your card details CLEARLY below. Once this data has been processed and payment approved, your card details will be destroyed.

3 Digit SecurityCode (on back)

Name on Card (please PRINT) Signature Date

_____________________________ _____________________________________________ ____________________

z CFI-UK: AUGUST—SEPTEMBER 2010

IMPORTANT: for customers outside of the UK, please orderonline (www.cfi.org.uk) or use our telephone ordering system

IMPORTANT: for postal savings on bulk purchases, please order online or bytelephone, where the cost is calculated on the collective weight of your items

Any other payments (e.g. subscription renewals with accompanying form):

TOTAL DONATION x and/or y (carried forward from other side):

(Please make sure you have given your address overleaf) GRAND TOTAL:

in touch august-september 2010

Documents

antiisrael bias

present efforts israel

cfi jerusalem

broader jewish community

international reps

jerusalem office

immediate position

compilers position